Lawn Mowing and Fertilizer History

Lawns and their care have quite a history as we can see from the few images in this article. Most gardeners can take pride in the way their lawns look today something they couldn’t have done had they lived 175 years ago.

Back in the early 1800’s there were two ways to keep the fields cut down so they remotely resembled something we call a lawn. One method was to turn the sheep out – the lazy man’s approach – and the other was to pick up the trusty scythe and hack away. Along about 1830, though, something new came into the picture – the lawn mower.

The inventor, a Mr. Buddings, got his idea from machinery used to shear wool off sheepskin in the factory in England where he worked. The principle of a spiral blade (a continuous scissors) which he patented is the same one used on reel type mowers today. The principle hasn’t changed, but today’s machines certainly don’t resemble those “gems” made in the late 1800’s.

The first “power” mowers appeared about the same time. In the United States, Peter Henderson’s 1-horse power mower was the ultimate in mowing equipment in 1900. Some twenty years later, gasoline engines were standard on machines used to mow golf courses and estates. As the small gasoline engine developed, so did the power mower and it eventually found its place on the home grounds.

The Baby Rotary

Rotary-type power mowers are the babies. They were born in the 1920’s. It may have sounded like a brand new idea at the time, but actually the rotary mower is nothing more than a rotating, continuous power scythe – it tops the grass the same way our chap with strong arms did back in the early 1800′s.

Since those early models with iron wheels and ancient engines, the basic idea of the rotary mower, again, hasn’t changed, but the design and looks certainly have. In addition to gasoline and diesel engines, electric motors were used to turn the blade. One real sporty model back in the 30’s even had a headlight for night mowing.

As the lawn mower improved and mowing became less of a chore, lawns also improved. We all know a good lawn must be cut regularly and properly if it is to stay in the best condition. As the years went on, additional equipment came along to help us plant and maintain a better lawn.

Fertilizer and Mowing

Lawn fertilizing is important. Back in the sheep days this may have been a byproduct of the mowing process. Today it is much more practical and convenient to employ other means of fertilizing than owning a small herd of sheep.

Scientists knew that lawns needed more of the element nitrogen than did other plants, so we soon had special lawn fertilizers containing a high ratio of this element. These are still with us and are the bases of many good lawns. But things didn’t stop there. In the 1950′s a new plant food was developed which is also ideal for lawns. This was a urea and formaldehyde combination which contained even more nitrogen. The products carried names like – Golden Vigoro, Borden’s 38 and Uramite.

Next we wanted all lawn – no weeds! Early lawn perfectionists handled this situation by getting down on their hands and knees with knives and cutting out each weed by the roots. Today, this is as antiquated as Pete Henderson’s 1 H.P. mower. Chemicals do the job today. First came 2,4-D to kill broad-leaf weeds such as dandelion and plantain. Crabgrass was the next victim of the test tube. There are few gardeners today who haven’t used or heard about crabgrass killers.

The Cultivated Lawn

We cultivated our vegetables and flower borders for years, now we cultivate our lawns. Not the same way, of course, but lawn aerification is nothing more than cultivating. The holes punched in turf loosen the soil the same way hoeing does in the vegetable garden.

Today’s lawn also has to be neat and tidy, and we can easily take care of this too. Hand trimmers came first, and in the past few years many gardeners have been relying on power trimmers, weed eaters, blowers and sometimes edgers to ease the lawn-perfecting.

The job of spreading plant food, lime and seed was made more convenient with a fertilizer spreader. All we had to do was to dump it in the spreader and push away.

Soon many of us got to the point of asking ourselves: “What can they think up next?” Well, they came up with something like the lawn sweeper or what we call “bagging.” This is like an oversized carpet sweeper. You can roll over your lawn and pick up leaves, twigs and debris. When you are finished, just empty the hopper.

These are just a few things which have a small part in making today’s lawns the best ever. This isn’t the end by any means. New lawn grasses are coming out and more specialized tools are in the offing.

What can we expect in the future? Hold on, lawn care will continue to change and improve like it have over the past 200 years. Although I don’t think sheep will be making a comeback!

Related Articles Of Interest:

• Lawn Fertilizer Burn – Don’t Let It Happen To Your Yard
• Toasted Green – Tips for Selecting the Best Lawn Fertilizer
• Fertilize Lawn Needs – What and How Much
• Fertilizing The Lawn